The present invention relates to a bill handling apparatus for feeding a bill inserted from a bill insertion slot, while reading the fed bill to identify the validity.
Generally, a bill handling apparatus identifies the validity of a bill inserted from a bill insertion slot by a user, and is incorporated into service apparatuses that provides various kinds of products and service corresponding to the bill value judged as being valid, such as, for example, a game media lending machine installed in a game hole, or an automatic dispenser, ticket-vending machine and the like installed in public areas.
The bill handling apparatus is usually provided with operation devices such as a bill feeding mechanism that feeds a bill inserted into a bill insertion slot, bill reading means for executing readout of the fed bill, bill identifying means for identifying the validity (also referred to as authentication judgment) from the read bill information and the like, and control means for driving and controlling the operation devices.
The above-mentioned bill reading means is provided with a photosensor which applies light to the fed bill and detects the reflected light and/or transmitted light, and the bill identifying means compares a detection signal from the photosensor with beforehand stored authorized bill data to identify the validity. For the above-mentioned photosensor, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H10-31774, it is known that the sensor unit is configured as a unit, and that the sensor unit is electrically connected to a connector on a control board side via a relay harness. In other words, by such a configuration, it is possible to perform maintenance operation with ease in the event of failure and like, and to cope with bogus bills simply by exchanging only the sensor unit and a microchip computer on the control board side.
As described above, since the conventional bill handling apparatus uses the relay harness and connector in connection between the sensor unit and control board, a problem easily occurs that the relay harness comes into contact with the control board or another component and causes a short and the like.
Therefore, to avoid such a problem, the necessity arises for providing footprints of the sensor unit and control board with margins, but as a result, another problem occurs that the entire bill handling apparatus is increased in size.
Accordingly, a bill handling apparatus is required that enables miniaturization of the entire apparatus.